Dublin GAA is moving further away from its rivals, on and off the pitch, after extending the county's lucrative deal with chief sponsors AIG - believed to be worth around €1m per year to Gaelic games in the capital.

Dublin GAA is moving further away from its rivals, on and off the pitch, after extending the county's lucrative deal with chief sponsors AIG - believed to be worth around €1m per year to Gaelic games in the capital.

The insurance giant yesterday confirmed another five-year extension to its partnership with the Dublin County Board (covering football and hurling), the Dublin LGFA (ladies football) and Dublin camogie.

AIG first came on board with Dublin in late 2013 in a five-year deal reportedly worth €4m. That deal lapses in November and, while no figures will be officially unveiled, it's understood this new arrangement will be worth approximately €5m over its duration.

Considering the second biggest GAA sponsorship deal is thought to be Cork's €420,000-per-year package with Chill Insurance, it puts the scale of Dublin's pulling power into perspective.

As with the previous AIG deal, there is no bonus-related element involved. It's clear, though, that their partnership has not only delivered a financial windfall for Dublin GAA but also a PR bonanza for the sponsors.

Their flagship footballers have already amassed three (and potentially four) All-Ireland SFC titles along with four Allianz League triumphs during their first five years with the AIG logo on their jerseys.

The Dublin ladies, meanwhile, ended a sequence of three near-misses by scaling the All-Ireland senior summit last September.

Curiously, AIG endured a less successful debut campaign in 2014, having inherited a county that had just lifted the NFL Division 1 trophy and Sam Maguire (in football) plus a history-making Leinster title (in hurling) during the last year of their previous Vodafone deal.

The continuation of the GAA’s most lucrative sponsorship showcases a Dublin brand going from strength to strength.

On the flip side, it is sure to fuel more debate about the need for further Croke Park moves towards funding equalisation to give smaller counties a chance of competing.

Not that Dublin GAA chiefs were peddling that argument as the deal was announced at Beann Eadair GAA Club in Howth.